You don’t have to be in Washington, DC to help make a difference for museums, or to let your legislators know about all the work of your museum. Get involved today!

• Participate in Museums Advocacy Day virtually! Send a letter to YOUR Members of Congress and weigh in on the issues your colleagues are raising with them during their Capitol Hill visits. 
  
  
• Schedule a visit with your legislators’ district staff.  It’s a critical way to start or further a relationship with your legislator. Find your legislator’s district office information.
  
  
• Let your legislators know your museum’s economic impact in the community.  If you like, you can personalize the economic impact statement with your museum’s logo and information, and send a snapshot directly to your legislators’ offices.
  
  
• Connect with your local CVB or tourism board. Their goal is to bring visitors to your area – make sure you are on their radar and part of that equation.
  
  
• Join forces with other museums in your community. Plan a group visit to meet legislators’ district staff or schedule a lunch or conference call where you can compare notes about issues facing your museum and strategies for working with the elected officials who represent you.
  
  
• Have you received a federal grant for your museum? Make sure your legislators know how critical those federal funds were and how the museum used them. You can use our IMLS letter template to contact them in support of IMLS and share information about your museum’s IMLS grant.
  
  
• Encourage your trustees to weigh-in with Members of Congress about the issues affecting museums. Your board members and volunteers can access AAM’s Contact Congress page and communicate with Congress with just a few clicks.
  
  
• Create a year-round advocacy plan to make advocacy a habit. Identify one or two actions you can take every month throughout the year to build relationships with your legislators and raise their awareness of and support for the work of your museum.